Police & Fire: January 4, 2013

Friday

Jan 4, 2013 at 2:30 PM

Drunk driving

Sault Police were alerted to a possible suspended driver at a gas station in the 200 block of E. Spruce Thursday afternoon.

A subsequent investigation coupled with a battery of failed sobriety tests resulted in the arrest of Ernest Bright of the Sault for operating while intoxicated. Bright was also booked into the Chippewa County Jail for driving while license suspended after police confirmed he did not possess a valid license.

Warrant arrest

Chippewa County Sheriff Deputies report the arrest of Christopher P. Reed, 39, of Dafter on a pair of outstanding Friend of the Court warrants. Reed was picked up early today after pulling his vehicle into a 10 Mile Road residence in Dafter Township.

He was lodged in the Chippewa County jail.

Citation issued

Chippewa County Sheriff Deputies have issued one citation stemming from a Dec. 21 incident and are seeking a warrant for leaving the scene of a property damage accident.

According to reports, deputies located a vehicle in a ditch near the intersection of M-129 and 7 1/2 Mile Road and had it extricated and subsequently impounded.

The registered owner of the vehicle explained he was not behind the wheel at the time of the mishap. In a follow-up investigation Laurie J. Smart, 49, of Brimley was cited for speed — too fast for conditions.

Deputies are awaiting a ruling from the prosecutor’s office regarding the second charge stemming from this matter.

Fenders bent

City police report investigating a trio of traffic mishaps on Thursday.

At 8:44 a.m. two vehicles attempted to occupy the same space while northbound on the I-75 Business Spur and side-swiped one another, causing minor damage. There were no injuries and police did not issue any citations.

At 11:23 a.m., a tractor trailed failed to navigate a curve on Johnston Street, slid off the roadway and struck a large anchor in front of the Kemp Marina. Police noted minor damage to both the big rig and the decorative anchor, but the truck driver escaped unscathed. There were no citations issued.

At 11:30 a.m., a westbound vehicle on W. Spruce lost control on a slushy stretch of roadway approximately 30 feet west of the Osborn intersection and slid into a legally parked vehicle. Again, police noted no injuries and concluded their investigation into the mishap without issuing any citations.

Snowmobile complaint

Sault Police also report taking a Thursday complaint regarding the misuse of a snowmobile in the 600 block of W. Portage.

The young male operator was reportedly visiting someone in the apartment complex when he traveled over the yard and sidewalk. A staff member reportedly spoke to the culprit and said he was welcome to visit the property with his sled, but advised him to stay in the parking lot.

Ignoring this advice, the suspect intentionally accelerated as he departed the scene, tearing up the snowbank and lawn — prompting the call to police.

Authorities have spoken with the renter the snowmobiler was visiting and will continue to follow-up on this matter.

Fire

Sault Firefighters reported a pair of Thursday morning runs.

The first call came in at 9:56 a.m. after employees of a W. Easterday convenience store noted an odor of smoke in a walk-in cooler. Firefighters determined a fan had overheated inside the unit and secured the electrical power, advising employees not to use the device until the necessary repairs were made. They cleared the scene at approximately 11 a.m.

The second call came in at 11:35 a.m. where an odor of natural gas was detected in a residence in the 2600 block of Forest Boulevard. Firefighters determined that a stove burner was the source of the odor and ventilated the structure before departing at 12:15 p.m.